EVGA's new B3 power supplies will succeed its B2 family, positioned between the GQ (made by FSP) and BQ (from HEC and Andyson) line-ups. The platform, shared across all B3 models, was designed by Super Flower. According to our sources, though, it's manufactured by a sub-contractor (RSY) since Super Flower's capacity is limited.

It's strange that EVGA didn't improve the B3 platform's efficiency compared to the generation prior; we still see an 80 PLUS Bronze badge. More than likely, the company wanted to keep costs as low as possible and offer something newer-sounding.

Five B3 models cover a range between 450 and 850W. The three lower-capacity members include a couple of PCIe connectors, whereas the 750 B3 has four and the 850 B3 six. None, however, come with two EPS connectors; they each have just one. In our opinion, at least the 850 B3 should have a couple of EPS connectors to support high-end motherboards.

The 450/550/650 B3 models are 150mm deep, and the 750/850 B3 versions are a little larger at 160mm.

The entry-level 450 B3 looks to be a pretty good option for budget-sensitive mainstream PCs. A $50 buy-in gets you a fully modular PSU with decent efficiency and a five-year warranty. That looks like a deal from any angle, so when EVGA was unable to provide us with a review sample, we went out and bought the whole B3 family on our own. That means the PSUs we're testing are the same ones you'll find on store shelves, guaranteed. The question of golden samples is taken care of in this case. Below is a video of our teardown of this PSU.

The PSU achieves 80 PLUS Bronze and ETA-D efficiency, while in the noise section is achieves a LAMBDA-A (25-30 dB[A]) certification. All of its cables are modular, and it is impressive to see a selectable semi-passive mode in this price category. Unfortunately, this unit's temperature rating is lower than what the ATX spec recommends. However, $50 PSUs can get a whole lot worse, so we really can't complain much about the 450 B3's 40°C rating.

A five-year warranty is pretty good for such an affordable power supply. Further, it's nice to see all of the necessary protection features in place (at least, EVGA tells us they're there). Fifteen centimeters of depth make this a fairly compact unit. So all in all, the 450 B3 appears to be one heck of bargain. We're guessing that EVGA sells it at a small profit or none at all in order to put pressure on its competition. Corsair's more expensive CX450, in particular, is in this unit's crosshair.

The following video footage shows our work behind the scenes, demonstrating what we do to break down the PSU. More details can be found on page 3.

Power Specifications

Rail

3.3V

5V

12V

5VSB

-12V

Max. Power

Amps

20

20

37.4

3

0.5

Watts

110

448.8

15

6

Total Max. Power (W)

450

EVGA employs a fairly typical configuration, offering around 100W maximum combined power on the minor rails, 15W at 5VSB, and a +12V rail able to deliver the unit's full power on its own.

Cables & Connectors

Modular Cables

Description

Cable Count

Connector Count (Total)

Gauge

ATX connector 20+4 pin (600mm)

1

1

18-22AWG

4+4 pin EPS12V (600mm)

1

1

18-22AWG

6+2 pin PCIe (550mm+150mm)

1

2

18-22AWG

SATA (500mm+100mm+100mm)

2

6

18-20AWG

Four-pin Molex (500mm+100mm+100mm)

1

3

18AWG

FDD Adapter (+105mm)

1

1

24AWG

The modular cables are long enough. However, the distance between the SATA and four-pin Molex connectors should be greater than 10cm. With such short runs (especially between the four-pin Molex connectors), you might have compatibility issues if you try to use case fans installed far away from each other.

Power Distribution

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we do not have anything to say about its power distribution.

Blowing up on the bench & the fuse not blowing seems to me to be rather more than an issue. I'd like Tom's to go buy another retail 450 Watt unit & see if it does the same. In addition, I see no mention of the other units in the range being tested which is odd as all models within the B3 line were purchased. Do we know if, say, the 550 Watt version suffers from the same safety issue.

Further, EVGA's lack of response to this fault is not good for their PR. I'd even go so far as to suggest that such a dangerous failing should be grounds for banning this model from sale until EVGA can recall & fix the units.